


Bad

by 7HotChocat1



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: David being David, David deserves to feel happy and loved, F/F, F/M, Frottage, Gen, I felt bad after Bonjour Bonquisha, Nature, Pet Names, Sexual Tension, and Bonquisha is a shmuck for not seeing how great this boy is, hand holding, vague threatening (but it's only teasing)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-06 02:52:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11591412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7HotChocat1/pseuds/7HotChocat1
Summary: David is doing better after Bonquisha leaves him but hasn't dated since.  Max takes matters into his own hands and hooks him up with someone he knows needs someone, and would treat him right.(Bonjour Bonquisha spoilers ahead!)(I'm trying to start writing again, any critique is welcome, so long as you're polite :))





	1. The First Meetings, and What Comes After

**Author's Note:**

> I felt really bad for Davey after seeing Bonjour Bonquisha, and I wasn't super interested in the cute waitress like everyone else was. David's obviously got a lot going on in his head and a lot of repressed emotions he needs to get through if he's pissed off enough to throw a chair at his ex's boyfriend's head. As always, the reader is gender neutral, and if I write smut later on, I'll make a DFAB and a DMAB as per usual.
> 
> I just want this boy to be happy.

David is running through his list of activities and rereading his small motivational message (with customary small puppy sticker at the bottom) when Max tells him he has to get ready.

 

“Get ready for what, Max?” David asks, politely, as usual.

 

“Your date, asshole,” replies Max, not politely, as usual.  “You need to hurry up and move on.  Bonquisha’s an idiot, and you need to get yourself back in the game”.

 

For a moment, David panics.  Had he forgotten a date he’d planned?  After a quick mental check, he decides no, he hasn’t.  Which can only mean… “She is not!  ...What do you mean?”

 

“I set you up.  Hurry up, they’ll be here in 5, and you are _not ditching._  I have a personal investment in this,” he says shortly, pulling out a familiar phone.

 

He makes for it, “Hey!  I was missing that!  Where did you find it?!” David cries happily, snatching it quickly from the younger boy’s smaller, less capable hands.  “I’ve been looking everywhere!”

 

Max growls and gives it up, begrudgingly.  “Found it in your pocket.  I stole it.  Obviously.  How do you think I was able to set this up?  I’m not an idiot, David”.

 

“I never said you were!” he says placatingly, shooting a quick message to the contact opened labeled “SLUT QUEEN”, which he quickly renames “Mystery Date”.   _“Hello, this is David, I’m so sorry you were brought into this.  One of my campers messaged you as a prank on me plea-”_ he types, before being cut off by a dull growl opening into an auto mechanical roar that can only come from one thing.

 

A few moments later, a motorcycle rolls down the dirt road; riding it is a figure in a leather jacket and a helmet with a visor, rending the rider’s face a mystery.  Pulling up next to the camp car, the figure climbs off.

 

David is already trotting up to them.  “Hello, welcome, can I help you?” he asks, chipper, despite his anxiety boiling.

 

The figure pulls off the helmet, revealing mussed up hair, intense eyes, and a grin like broken glass.  “Sure hope so, honey.  Do you know any Davids?”  Their voice is pleasant, and despite the unnerving grin that’s a little too predatory, he finds himself realizing who he’s talking to.   _SLUT QUEEN_ , his mind reminds him.   _MYSTERY DATE_ , he corrects.

 

“Oh, you must be the one Max told me about!  Yes, I’m David.  I’m so sorry you had to come all the way out here, it must have been such a drive!  You see, Max took my phone without my permission, and probably pretended to be me… I didn’t have any idea you were coming until about five minutes ago!”

 

At his confession, their grin turns to a sly smirk, and their eyes half lid.  David gulps.  “Oh, I know.  Me and Max go waaaay back,” they say dragging the ‘a’ out.  “I thought it was you!  You do look a bit different awake though.  Maxwell sent me very adorable pictures of you,” she replies.

 

“He did _what?!_ ” he yells, rounding on the ten year old, who’s making his way back.

 

“Yo, (F/n), what’s up?” Max ask.

 

“Chillin’.  Killin’.” they reply.  “How you holding up, shorty?”

 

“Get me out of here before I run into a bear den to end my misery,” he replies in deadpan.

 

The mysterious date laughs.  “No way!  Eaten by bears is the way to go,” they say with a grin.  “See ya later, lil dude.   _I_ have a date to date,” they say, grabbing David by the wrist and dragging him to the motorized death trap with a shiny paintjob.  

 

“Good luck on your date, David!  Go get ‘em tiger!” shouts a familiar voice.  David whips around to see Gwen, picking up his clipboard from where he’d dropped it in surprise, herding Max and the rest of the kids away.   _Gwen was in on this too?!_  His thoughts turned upset and, oddly, reassured.  Gwen wouldn’t let anything _too_ bad happen to him.

 

“Alright, grab the helmet and hop on,” they say, swinging a leg over the bike.

 

David sighs, running his hand through his hair.  “I’m sorry, (F/n), was it?  I just don’t know if I’m ready for a relationship right now?  I just got out of one, and I just don’t know if I’m ready to start dating again.  I’m sorry,” he admits, looking sadly at the biker.

 

The predatory grin is back with a pair of rolling eyes.  “Chill and put the puppy eyes away darlin’, I’m here for a date, and I’m getting one!  Besides, you’ll never be ready with that attitude!” they sooth, offering a second helmet, blue and with a sticker of a hand with its middle finger up.  

 

David hesitantly takes the helmet, frowning at the crudeness.  “I’m sorry, but this seems a little fast.  I don’t actually know you?” he quirks the end of the sentence to imply a question.

 

“I’m (F/n).  I live in the area.  Get on, we can talk when we get there.  We’re already running a little late,” they reply, putting the helmet back on.  David hesitates a moment, but decides ultimately to pull the helmet over his face, pulling the visor down over his eyes.  He sits up on the back of the bike, uncomfortable, and out of element.  “Hold onto me!  Tight!  The road’s bumpy back here,” (F/n) says, dropping a foot to kick the stand up against the bike.  “Have you ever ridden before?” they ask, starting up the bike, revving the motor loudly.

 

“Only a horse, and that was a long time ago!” admits David, loudly over the motorcycle’s roar.

 

He feels his date laugh as he pulls himself against their back, hesitant to invade their personal space.  “It’s not too different from that, Bear Grylls!  Just keep your feet on the ledge!”  The bike starts to roll, and David feels his anxiety spike, and before he knows it, he has a death grip on the driver, screaming in surprise and for a moment, fear.

 

He feels them laugh and give a doggish howl, and for a moment, David clutches them close and closes his eyes, and to his surprise, it helps.  He finds the wind soothing the skin of his arms, breathes deep for a moment, before opening his eyes again.  David’s cheek is sticky against the back of the leather of the jacket.  David smiles, watching the trees pass quickly, naming each in his head as they pass before realization hits him like a kick to the ass.  “Where are we going?!”

 

“WHAT?”

 

“WHERE ARE WE GOING?!”

 

“I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!”

 

David sighs.  “NEVER MIND!”

 

He hears a smile in their voice.  “YEAH, ME TOO!”

 

Despite himself, David chuckles.

 

Soon enough, they pull off into what looks like an abandoned road, a small fence, that’s actually useless, since his date simply rolls off road, and goes around the small fence with an orange ‘KEEP OUT’ sign.  His date pulls off, and turns the bike off, putting down the stand on the torn up asphalt with grass and weeds sticking out.  “Are we trespassing?!” David asks, eyes wide.

 

(F/n) pulls off their helmet, shaking their hair out.  “Ha ha, yeah.  I would have told you, but Max said you were kind of a dork”.

 

David’s cheeks puff out in annoyance.  “I am not!  I just think it’s wrong to invade other people’s property when you have no right to be there!”

 

As he speaks, the biker’s brows slowly rise with every word.  “Yeah,” they reply, “You are definitely a dork”.

 

“I am _not_!” he shrieks, flailing his hands.

 

“Calm down sweetie, I’m teasing.  ‘Sides, the only one that owns this place is Mother Nature”.  They push the bike out of sight inside a lilac bush, where it is hidden from the front, but not the back where they are, and come back with a backpack and a bat they’d pulled from the bike’s saddlebags.  They lead him down the broken road, putting their arm around his shoulder and pulling the bat across the other.

 

“Are we playing baseball?” he asks nervously.  He gulps at their boldness, though the gesture makes him warm.  

 

They laugh.  “Not even close!  “Max told me you were a nature nut, so I thought you wouldn’t mind a bit of a walk.  I hope you don’t mind?”

 

David smiles, feeling a bit happy at the mention of a hike.  “Oh of course not, I love hiking!  Being out in the wilderness is very liberating!  Camping is a passion of mine, and all things that go with it!  Though, I’m not a big fan of hunting…  Do you like camping?  And, do you need help with that bag?  It seems heavy,” he inquires.

 

They curl a lip in a sneer, which _seems_ to be a positive look with what they say.  “Nah, it’s not that much farther.  Thanks, though”.  They furrow their brows in thought.  “I like the seclusion from stupid dickheads.  I don’t like people all up in my shit, you know?  I just like to do ‘me’, and not listen to people bitch about the way I do things.  I like the animals too.  Raccoons are real cute.  And, I mean, the trees overhead just make me feel kinda good too, you know?”

 

David finds himself nodding vigorously, a small spark of companionship sparking in his gut.   _Maybe this date_ will _go well…  They seem nice, at the very least.  This won’t be so bad!_  “Yes!  Absolutely, I know what you mean!  Trees and bushes that hang over roads are wonderful, they make me feel so secure.  Do people often complain about the way you do things?”

 

They shrug.  “Not really, but it’s more the feeling of someone getting into your business, you know?  I just like getting away from society and slowly turning into a creepy hermit, you know?”

 

“I understand exactly half of that” David replies.

 

“I can respect that.  Oh, we’re here,” they say, pulling a low branch of a pine up, revealing an old, worn down shop of some kind, a small and weedy parking lot in front of it, with a single lamp post in the lot.  Surrounding the small clearing on all sides are evergreen trees, filling the area with the sharp scent of pine and fir.

 

“What is this?  I’ve lived here for years and I’ve never seen this before!” he asks in wonder, walking up to the building, taking in the cracked paint.  The sign was plain wood, hints of white and red paint along it, though made illegible by the elements.  “Is this a gas station of some kind?”

 

He turns to see them opening the bag, and lay the bat down.  “Close: it’s a party store.  It was probably built in the 80s or something, but got lost in the trees, no one wanting to come this far out of town for booze after the bar got built in… 89?  I think.  Not too clear on my bar history,” they reply, pulling a small bag of strawberries and the largest watermelon David’s ever seen out of the bag.  They grabbed the bag from the bottom, shaking out numerous broken carrots, apples, and a baseball glove that’s worn and covered in juice.

 

Pausing, they pick up the bat, holding it tight, their expression turned from playful to dark and hungry.  “But in all realness, I brought you out here to harvest your organs for my dinner,” they growl.  Their lip curls revealing white teeth.

 

David takes a step back, spine hitting the one large post in the entire lot, sweat gathering on his brow as they advance.  “You… you’re joking right?” he pleads, pulling himself closer to the post.  “(F/n)?  This is a joke right?”

 

They smile again, the predatory one with too many teeth that freezes David’s knees.  “Is it?  Am I?”  They draw in close, face inches away from David’s, his fearful grin pulled too wide to still be a smile and pushes the bat between their legs, and David quivers, as his date’s hand raises and carefully holds his throat, thumb over his adam’s apple.  He swallows thickly.  “Scared?”

 

David gathers himself just enough to stutter out a choked, “N-no!  Of course- of course not!”  

 

They move their thumb along his neck, catching on the stubble on his chin, settling on his pulse, fingers scraping through the baby hairs on his neck.  “You’re shaking,” they comment as though it were the weather, blinking slowly, eyes half lidded but focused carefully on him.  They lean closer, and David half expects them to sink their teeth into his neck and rip an artery out, but instead, he feels breath on his ear and stills.  “I just have a terrible sense of humor, and wanted to pin you to a wall,” they whisper.  

 

He lets out a breath in relief.  “That wasn’t funny!  And not very nice!”  

 

They laugh loudly, pulling away from his ear, and to the hollow of his chin, hand moving from the bat to his hip, pulling themselves closer, their other hand rubbing comfortingly on his neck.  It’s intimate, yet casual.  “Sorry, sorry!  You just looked so cute when you got scared, I couldn’t help it!”.  They pull away.  “Can I kiss your cheek?” they ask sweetly, eyes fluttering.  David is immediately unsure.  

 

“I…”

 

“You can say no,” they offer, at his hesitance.

 

“...Yes,” he confirms a bit more firmly this time.  They move up with a little hesitance, pressing chapped lips to his cheek, humming.  They pull away, putting the bat in his hand.  “I’ll pitch if you bat!” they say, wandering to the pile of produce.

 

David blinks, gathering himself quickly.  “Is that a euphemism?”  He meanders his way closer as they toss an apple in the air and catch it easily, mitt on their hand.  

 

They grin.  “No dude, that’s ‘you catch, I’ll pitch’.  I’m going to throw this, and you try and bash it, got it?  I’ll go easy on you”.

 

David frowns.  “Isn’t this a waste of food?”

 

“Nah, the clean up crews on their way.  You’ll see.  Trust me,” they insist, as David gets into batting position.

 

“If you say so,” he replies, feeling the familiar emotion of not 100% believing someone but still unsure enough to go along with a shifty sounding plan.  You know the feeling.

 

Pausing for aim, they throw a slow pitch, and David swings hard, and the apple connects with a smack, apple chunks flying.  David laughs in surprise.  “See?  Fun, right?  Usually, I end up doing this myself,” (F/n) comments.

 

David eagerly gets back into position, hitting another pitch, spraying apple onto himself and his date.  “Whoops, sorry”.

 

“No!  I’m used to it”.

 

 _Smack!_  “You said you come out here a lot?”

 

“Yeah, the company’s good.  I usually come out at sunrise when I can’t sleep or sunset”.   _Smash!_ “I like to see the fog when it rolls in from the lake.  Sometimes there are coyotes running through it and it’s like a fairytale”.

 

“Wow!”   _Smack!_ “That sounds beautiful!”   _Smash!_

 

“It is”.   _Smack!_ There’s a pause.  “I’m… uh… out of apples”.

 

David blinks.  He is suddenly very aware of his sticky shirt and vest.  “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t let you hit any!”

 

His date laughs.  “It’s fine!  I get the watermelon!  Here, gimme the bat,” they ask, taking it from his offering hand.  Without hesitation, they kick the watermelon away from the strawberries with a boot, and use the bat to smash through to the red, watery fruit of the inside.  They cackle with amusement.  Soon, the melon is smashed along the blacktop and there’s melon juice on their faces.

 

They’re broken out of their laughter by rustling in the woods.  “They’re here!  Hey, ladies!”

 

David turns, and to his surprise, three whitetail doe delicately step from the brush.  They walk in hesitantly.  “Are… they the cleanup crew?” he asks nervously.  He’d never been this close to a deer without them running.

 

(F/n) returns to his side with the small pack of strawberries.  “Yeah, that’s Dolly, Yearwood, and Wanda,” they open the package and the deers’ ears twitch in unison, suddenly very interested.  “They like strawberries,” they explain.

 

They offer one to one of the doe, and it takes the berry joyfully into its mouth and munches.  It’s pretty cute.  “I’ve never been this close before,” he says.

 

They hand him a strawberry.  “You’re about to get even closer.  Here: give one to Dolly,” they say handing him a big berry.

 

He hesitantly holds it out to the suspicious deer.  “Uh, are you sure-” he says, before the deer’s muzzle nibbles the berry out of his hand, and he drops it in surprise.  The doe gobbles the huge strawberry up, licking its nose, and bobbing its head in interest at David.  “Oh my gosh that was so amazing!”

 

They chuckle, and hand him the berries, ‘Dolly’ taking another from his hand, and Yearwood snatching one from carton when David wasn’t looking.  The two feed the happy deer until the last strawberry has been gobbled up by deer hunger.

 

“They’re always hungry,” (F/n) says, walking to the side of the store, where a long ladder leads to the top.  They start to climb, and David follows.

 

“That was so great!  I’ve never done that before!  Thank you so much!”  David smiles, and they look down from the top of the building, offering him a hand.  

 

“Sure, anytime.  I had fun”.  They pull him up, helping him onto the flat roof, revealing a pair of lawn chairs, and a cooler.  They walk to the cooler, opening it to peer inside.  “Beer or coke?”

 

“Coke, please,” David replies.  

 

They toss a can to him, that he messily catches, nearly dropping the can onto the cement of the roof.  “Good, because I don’t have any beer”.

 

Taking a seat, (F/n) offers the other to him, and he sits, eyes on the deer, eating up the watermelon, carrots, and destroyed apples.  David remembers something suddenly.  “Hey, how do you know Max?”

 

“He’s my little bro, duh,” they say, swigging the warm soda.  The cooler didn’t do its job since there was no ice in it.

 

“Max has a sibling?” he questions aloud.

 

“Yeah, and it’s me,” they reply, flicking some of the soda pop at him.  

 

They drift into comfortable silence, taking in the scenery.  Somewhere along the way, David hesitantly takes his date’s hand in his, as they start to chat.  They don’t acknowledge the hand, accepting the gesture a little anxiously, eyes on the deer.  David rubs his thumb against the back of their hand in a soothing gesture.  

 

He learns that they have a large collection of animal bones they’d grabbed from abandoned farms and walks in the woods (which is admittedly odd), but also has a rescue dog, showing a picture off of a scruffy mongrel with those silly half floppy half open ears that most adorable mutts have, with the dumbest doggy grin David’s ever seen.  He admits he’s allergic, but loves the fluffy things.  (F/n) comments that the dog, Spazz, is the dumbest thing on earth, so naturally, they’d kill for him.  David tells them about his penchant for anything handmade, whether it be pottery, woodworking, or knitting, he just likes to make things.  (F/n) calls him an ‘adorable pansy’ which he thinks is a good thing.  Soon, the sun starts to set, and they climb down, carrying the empty bag and bat back to their ride.

 

All the way back to camp, (F/n) avoids every bump visible, and swerves smoothly along the open road, and if David screams again, it’s from exhilaration rather than fear.  When they arrive back to camp, it’s nearly dark.  

 

David pulls the helmet off, breathing heavy.  “I had so much fun!  Thank you!”

 

(F/n) shuffles their feet, hand on their neck.  “Yeah, anytime,” they reply a little nervously, smiling crookedly, not a trace of the predatory grin from earlier on.

 

David twiddles his fingers.  “I… I know I said I’d just gotten out of a relationship, and I’m still hurting a bit but… I’d love to go on a date with you again sometime!  That was the most fun I’ve had in… forever really!”  David admits, setting the helmet on the bike seat, (F/n)’s eyes widening.

 

“I- yeah!  Yeah, of course, I, um, really like you!  You’re um, really sweet actually,” they say, face flush, and David’s not far behind cheeks heating.  “I…  Did Max tell you anything about me?”

 

David blinks.  “I… didn’t know you existed before today, actually.  Sorry, but he didn’t tell me anything”.

 

They sigh, leaning on their bike.  “I haven’t exactly… been with anyone seriously in… a while now.  I’m sorry, but I’m a little out of sync.  I hope you don’t mind me being a bit ridiculous while I try to find my beat again.  I’d… really like to get to know you more, too”.  Their face is more than a little uncomfortable, and David smiles brightly.

 

“Of course!  I’ll set something up this time!  Are you free Sunday?” he asks eagerly.

 

They blink, before the smirk comes back, a bit of the wolfish grin finding its way onto their face.  “Sorry, that’s the day I dump the bodies of my victims into the lake!  But I am free after”.

 

David huffs.  “Well, don’t put them where the campers could find them, I can’t deal with another corpse washing up again!”

 

That earns a laugh from the biker.  “Well, I’ll see you then,” they say, and after a moment's hesitation, they lean close to his face.  “May I?”

 

David swallows.  “Y-You may”.

 

(F/n) moves in close, and presses a small kiss to the corner of David’s lips, and he shivers, pressing back into them.  He grips their leather jacket at the waist, and slips his hand under it hesitantly, feeling warm flesh under cotton shirt.  (F/n)’s hands are in his hair, one dropping to his neck again, and David presses kiss after kiss to their mouth.

 

Soon (too soon) the biker pulls back, David’s hand moving to smooth out their jacket.  “Sorry, that got a bit… much”.

 

David nods dumbly.  “Has it really… been that long?”

 

They nod, face red from kissing and embarrassment, and straighten their hair.  "Sorry, sorry”.

 

“No, no it’s fine!  I liked it,” replies David.

 

There’s a yawning silence, until (F/n) comments dryly, “Well, this has been sufficiently awkward.  I… am going home now.  I’ll… see you Sunday?”

 

“Sunday,” the other confirms, tossing the extra helmet into the saddlebag, and putting their own on.  “See you, David!”

 

David waves, face bright with smile and flush.  “Bye!”

 

That night, David walks into the counselor's cabin, and the second the door closes, he leans against it and slides down slowly, feeling his face burn.

 

“Wow, that good huh?”

 

David jumps a bit, as much as a man sitting on the floor of a cabin can, and turns to see Gwen with a novel in her hands, staring at him over it with a smile.  “Y-Yeah… they’re… wow.  Just… yeah”.

 

Gwen smiles crookedly, adjusting the book.  “Good”.

 

“Yeah… good.  I like them.  I think… I think I’m going to date them”.

 

“Yeah?  Good for you.  Tell me how it was, what did you guys do?” she asks, putting the book down, and turning onto her belly, facing him with a curious grin.

 

David smiles and hugs his apple sticky arms.


	2. You Are Not The Man On Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> takes place several weeks after the first date. mind the new tags, because slightly sexy times happen later in the chapter. nothing really explicit, but it's there, so if you're uncomfortable with that, feel free to skip it. (Also reader wears some make up.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> special thanks to everyone that left kudos and offered ideas, even though i didnt use them, because they did get me inspired to write some more
> 
> Also, the X-Files episode mentioned in this is one of my favorites, S1:E8 Ice. It's a good one with a dog about space worms in Alaska. It had some good tension, so if you've never seen X-Files, watch that, it'll show what the show's all about.

Sending pictures between the two became a normality very quickly.  David never left the cabin without his phone in case of emergency, and (F/n) always had theirs on their person.  Every now and then he would give an update on their little brother, but for the most part, David would send pictures of wildlife and selfies with a view in the back.  Little captions of, “Beautiful sunrise! :)” and “Look at this lil fox!!!!!” just brightened the biker’s day.

 

(F/n), on the other hand, sent mostly pictures of dogs.  Specifically, theirs.  Spazz chomping his rawhide, Spazz licking peanut butter out of a cong toy, and most important: Spazz sleeping in odd positions.

 

Today however, was a change.

 

David had woken for his Friday Polar Plunge before dawn and brought his clothes down for the swim.  On the walk back to camp from the showers, just after the sun had started to come up, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.  Pulling open the text, he felt his face heat up and a smile split his face.

 

Selfies from (F/n) were rare, the biker claiming themselves “extremely unphotogenic”, “unfit to be seen through a lense”, and “David stop taking pictures of me when we nap”.  David disagreed, though today it seemed his lover was willing to indulge him this morning.  Opening the text revealed a snap from “Darling” (with several kiss and ghost emojis)” with a pretty picture of themself.  Though David had never been to their house yet, he recognized the natural pine wood porch swing they were sat on with Lake Lilac behind.  He found himself chuckling at their fluffy pajamas with dog paw prints on them, curled up in a sweater under their usual leather jacket with coffee in hand.  What suprised him most however was the dark blue fingernail polish, and pretty cat-eye eyeliner (from what he’d heard from Gwen the first time she had done it, it was difficult to do).

 

 **Darling:**   _Good morning Chief!  Felt like being cute today... I bet you look handsome as always :P_

 

God, they were so cute.

 

David found himself emitting a high pitched noise one usually let out when seeing a baby animal falling asleep.  Before he could stop himself he sent back:

 

 **Chief:** _yesssss oh my gosh you look amazingg!!!  so pretty!!!  you should wear that purple lipstick you put on when we went to the arcade!!!! <33333 _

**Chief:** _i just got back from a swim!_

 

David pulled the camera away from himself, and raised his arm with a thumbs up, showing the path to the lake behind him.  He smiled wide, but blushed pausing at the picture, examining his bare chest that had turned pink in the cold water of the shower, water glistening on his shoulders.  Surely they wouldn’t mind a shot like this?  It wasn’t too inappropriate was it?  David shook his head.  He’d gotten a picture like this from (F/n) before and they didn’t make a big deal out of it (the picture of his normally rough-and-tumble lover fresh from a swim in a pair of soaking wet hotpants had been saved to his phone for himself).  David forced himself through embarrassment to press the send button, and continued his walk a little faster, pretending he couldn’t feel the water on his shoulders turn to steam.

 

Before he could put his phone back in his pocket the device buzzed in his hand.

 

Opening the messages apprehensively, he squirmed, face heating even more.

 

 **Darling:** _omg yes plz_

 

Another ping.

 

 **Darling:** _i want to bite ur abs so bad right now_

 

Ping!

 

 **Darling:** _subscribing 4 more chief love u baby boy <333 _

 

Ping!

 

 **Darling:** _i really hope ur wearing pants right now, u work with kids davey_

 

David’s face broke into a grin, and put his face in his hands with a tiny laugh.

 

 **Chief:** _of course!!!  I’m not like that!!_

 

 **Darling:** _i know love u chief_

 

He felt his smile widen, as he stepped into his cabin, pulling his shirt and vest on, and one last text came asking if TV night was still on for their usual time as he tied his old camp shirt back around his neck.  David sent a quick confirmation, before he saved their picture to his phone only to catch himself staring at the lock screen.

 

The picture was one he’d taken on their 5th TV date.  (F/n) had fallen asleep sprawled across the old couch in his cabin under David.  Their arms wrapped around David’s body, nose buried in his hair in a dead sleep, David smiling brightly.  It was a cute picture.

 

_______________________________________________

 

Across the lake, (F/n) had gotten a call, and was chatting while pouring brownie mix into a pan.  “I don’t know Travis, he’s just… he’s been really sweet and respectful.  I don’t know.  I don’t know”.

 

 _“Hon, I love you, but I’m not accepting this until I meet him.  Trial by stone, and all that.  Just be careful is all I’m saying.  Remember Brandon?”_ he chimed back.

 

You rolled your eyes.  “Brandon was just not good for me, and I didn’t want or expect to last long.  I just wanted him to, you know..”

 

_“...You know?”_

 

“Not be serious.  And that was my fault.  We just weren’t good for each other and that’s fine; we’re friendly now,” you reply, pushing the brownies into the oven as Travis hums sardonically.  “He got a new boyfriend did you hear?  Caleb?  Colin?  Some ‘C’ name.  They look cute together”.

 

_“Yeah I saw.  I thought it was Dan though.  Whatever.  Didn’t you say Max hooked you up?  You sure he’s not just messing with you or something and he’s into, I don’t know, fucked up shit like mannequins or something?”_

 

You laugh, pushing the oven door closed.  “First: no, we made a truce a long time ago.  Second: mannequins?!  Oh my god Trav, that’s not- no!  He’s not into mannequins!  You fuckweasel!”

 

_“How do you know if you haven’t asked him!”_

 

You both laugh as you wait for the brownies to bake, settling into a comfortable silence.  “You know,” you begin, voice soft.  Your insides flutter with butterflies, visions of ginger hair, and a pristine white grin fill your thoughts.  “Sometimes, he does that thing I’ve only seen in movies”.

 

_“What, like, puts his fingers in your mouth or calls you daddy?”_

 

You guffaw in surprise.  “No, asshole!  I mean… sometimes when we fall asleep, I catch him just.  Looking at me.  Just smiling and staring.  Or when we’re out having fun or watching something, he just stops and looks at me, and oh my god, Travis, he fucking _smiles_ when he kisses me.  No one has _ever_ done that!”

 

 _“Wow.  That’s… actually really cute”._  You hear him sigh.   _“I’m glad you’re happy it’s just… you know me”._

 

You smile.  “Yeah, and you know me.  I’m glad you worry.  Someone has to make sure I’m not a wreak”.

 

 _“Yeah, well, maybe it’ll be this David now so I can get some sleep!”_  He laugh.

 

You smile waiting for the brownies to finish.  You think about that lipstick.

 

________________________________________________________

 

As the night began to wind down, Max appeared at his cabin door, pudding cup in hand.  “Hey, David”.

 

David’s smile brightened.  “Yes Max?”

 

“Just be nice to them, okay?  Or I’ll kill you _slowly_ with a bottle shiv”.

 

That made David pause.  “What do you mean?”

 

Max pulled a broken glass bottle from behind his back, pointing it in David’s face.  David paled, before snatching it back.  “Where did you get this?!  You shouldn’t play with these, Max, you’ll hurt someone!”

 

Max grumbled and crossed his arms, after throwing his empty cup and spoon on the floor in front of him.  “Fuck you, that’s the point.  And I have more”.

 

David sighed, picking up the plastic.  “That wasn’t what I meant in the first place.  Why are you so worried?”

 

Max shuffled, before putting his hands in his pockets.  “(F/n)’s last ex was kind of a douchebag to them near the end.  They taught me how to pick my first locks, and spot blind spots in cameras.  We’ve got a lot of investment in each other; but if I ever hear about you being an asshole to them, _you're a dead man_ ” he finished, with his finger in David’s face as he grasped him by the counselor’s shirt.  

 

David felt sweat form on his brow.  “You don’t, you won’t have to worry about that M-Max!” he says, pulling himself away, showing them his lock screen.  Max’s brows raised in surprise.  “I love them very much, I’d never do anything to hurt them like that!  They’re- oh they’re here!” he says, putting his phone back in his pocket, he jogged over to the usual place where (F/n) parked their motorcycle.  They walked to the boys with a smile on their face, plainly happy.  They were wearing the lavender lipstick.

 

“Chief,” (F/n) called grinning.

 

“You look so pretty today!” he cried, pulling them into a hug, as he kisses their face, the biker beginning to giggle under the relentless kisses.  

 

“Ah ha ha heh hee hah hahaha!!  Oh my god, stop you massive fucking dork!” (F/n) giggles, squirming, before breaking into a screech when David blows a fat raspberry onto their neck.

 

They are both interrupted by a loud retch.  “God, you’re both so fucking gross!  Get a fucking room, god!  At least you don’t have lame nicknames for each other!”

 

“Au contraire, mon frère, _he’s_ the Chief-” (F/n) replies with a grin, pressing a light kiss to their boyfriend’s neck.

 

“-and _they’re_ Darling!” he finishes, giggling away from the small kiss.

 

Max falls to the ground cackling.  “ _Fucking Darling?!_ What the hell is _that_?!” he breathes between laughs.

 

The biker shrugs.  “Y’know...” they shrugged.  “By the way, I did get him with the mask you let me hold onto”.

 

David frowns, though he fights laughter.  “That _still_ wasn’t funny!”

 

“Uh, yeah, it was?  You cried the fourth time when I came out from in the canoe!”

 

“NO I DIDN’T, I GUESS WE’RE DONE HERE, GOODNIGHT MAX!”

 

David frantically pushes his date to the door of his cabin, cackles still heard for a while after the door is slammed shut.

 

“Come on camp babe,” (F/n) says taking David’s hand.  “There’s a couch and an X-Files season with our names on it”.

 

Sighing, David rights himself and allows himself to be pulled.  “Right you are, Darling!”

 

Inside, they curl against each other in their usual positions, David laying on top of his lover with his arms folded under them with his head on their stomach, while the biker sprawls on their back, playing with David’s hair.

 

David has a hard time following the episode, when (F/n)’s had tightens in his hair, gently tugging.  He looks up with a sleepy, questioning look.  “Come here,” they rasp, throat rusty with sleep.

 

David shimmies up until his face is a breath away from theirs.  “Yeah?”

 

(F/n) stares a moment into David’s eyes, before leaning in and pressing a kiss to his forehead, soft.  David closes his eyes smiling all the while.  “I’m taking a trip to brownie town,” they say, as he opens his eyes.  

 

“Oooh!  Did you make them?” he asks curiously, as they pull a bag from their jacket.

 

They laugh, pushing up, as David tries to pull off of his date after realizing with a flush he was straddling (F/n)’s hips.  “It’s just from a box, calm down,” they say, wiping their lipstick off on a popcorn napkin, and wiped David’s forehead.  “Lipstick smooch,” they explain, opening the bag.  They munched through one, and offered the other to him.  “Want one?”

 

David nods.  “Please and thank you!” he says with a smile, and goes to take it, but they swat his hand down.  David whines, pouting and rubbing his hand.

 

“Let me feed you,” they explain, offering it with their fingers.  David smiles, taking it into his mouth.  He winks, and finishes it, nipping your fingers playfully.  “Cheeky bastard,” you grumble fondly.  He kisses your cheek.

 

The two settle on the couch, in comfortable silence, David slowly falling back into his usual position, (F/n)’s fingers massaging his scalp.  He shuts his eyes, slowly drifting in and out of consciousness.  David feeling warm and safe, he nuzzles inward, feeling something heavy and warm cover his back.  He sighs, and falls into a fitful sleep, (F/n)’s fingers in his hair.

 

______________________________________________

 

David is woken by his phone, blaring Fleetwood Mac.

 

David fumbles his phone out of his pocket, and shuts off the alarm.  Yawning, he smiles, ready to get up and full of energy, and excitement, when he realizes he can’t get up.  Rubbing his eyes, he looks up, smile breaking into a full grin at the sight of (F/n) sleeping soundly with an arm over their eyes to combat the crack of sunlight intruding over their face.  

 

He finds their leather jacket around his shoulders as a makeshift blanket.  He savors the warmth a moment, before he nudges them.  They groan, pulling their arm away from one eye, a sliver of color blinking blearily at him.  “Good morning starshine.  The earth says ‘hello’!” he chirps.

 

“Fuck you, let me sleep,” they grumble, replacing their arm.

 

David pouts.  He crawls closer and noses their chin.  “Hey,” he calls.

 

(F/n) grunts.

 

“ _Hey,_ ” he insists, kissing their chin.

 

“What?” they mumble.

 

“I’ll make you coffee if you help with pancakes,” he says.

 

They’re silent a moment, before their bones crack as they stretch their arms above their head, pulling back down to rest on the small of David’s back.  “Alright, if you really have to force my hand”.

 

“Great!” he replies grinning.

 

“What time is it?” they ask, shifting.

 

“Oh, about six,” he replies.

 

(F/n) glares, making David gulp.  “Please explain why I’m up at six in the morning, Davey?”

 

David feels sweat on his forehead form.  The hands on his back are less comforting than the grip of a trap.  “P-pancakes?  This is when I usually go for my morning hike around camp?” he replies nervously.

 

They’re silent, face an unreadable glare.  “Whatever.  Now it’s going to be grind time, apparently,” they reply.

 

“What?”

 

He feels the biker’s hands fall to his hips, feeling their hips press to his, feeling heat pool in his shorts.  He blushes at the obvious bulge in his shorts he hadn’t realized had been prominent, as he stares into his lover’s half lidded eyes, hips flush.  “Is this okay?”

 

David’s ears are hot.  He wants to press back, but finds himself without courage.  “I-I don’t know…”

 

They frown, blinking slowly.  “If there’s any doubt, then we should stop.  We don’t have to baby boy,” they reply gently, thumb rubbing circles into the hot skin of his hip, grind slowing to a gentle cradle.

 

David shakes his head.  “I don’t want to stop, but… I don’t want to… go all the way yet.  Can we- can we just do this?” he pleads, voice quiet, eyes rapidly making and breaking eye contact.

 

They smile softly, blinking slow.  “Sure.  Whatever you’re comfortable with.  You tell me to stop anytime.  Okay?”  He nods.  “Red light, green light?”

 

David’s brows crease.  “What do you- _oh!_ ” he begins, breaking off into a gasp when (F/n)’s hips raise to his, their pants rubbing close together.  David bites back moans, teeth sinking into his lip as (F/n)’s hand raises up to his stomach.  He feels nails bite into his soft stomach, grazing the flesh slightly.  Their hips lazily grind to his, his breath coming out in sharp pants.

 

“Tell me ‘red light’ to stop, ‘green’ to go.  Ok?  What’s your color?” they ask, soothing the red lines with their palm.

 

“G-green,” he says, before his hips stutter at a forceful grind, his ass against the crotch of their pants.  “Definitely green”.

 

His lover grins, sitting up, dragging David closer until their chests touch.  David’s bulge pressed between their stomachs, as (F/n) nips David’s neck, sucking the soft skin into their mouth and nibbling.  David whines, giving shallow ruts with his hips, unsure.  “Like that, baby boy?  Feel good?”  David gasps, pressing his head into their neck, nodding in embarrassment.  He grinds down, as they nip another spot on his neck, slowly biting their way to his collar bone.  A hand drifts up his shirt, until fingers find his nipples.  “Is this okay?”

 

“Y-yes,” he answers breathily, and cries out, head falling back as he feels his nipples get pinched, fingers flicking him as heat coils tighter in his pants.  

 

“I was being serious, when you sent me that cute pic of you yesterday, you know,” they murmur against his neck, and he whines questioningly as their hand drifts down to squeeze the meat of his ass.  “I really want to bite your abs,” they whisper, and David finishes in his pants, gasping harshly, as (F/n) coos small praise and encouragement into his neck, panting harshly.  They gasp, following suit close after, and ease themselves down slowly, allowing him to rut against them as they kiss his cheeks where tears have begun to prick his eyes.  “Are you okay, sweetie?”

 

David nods.  “Yeah, of course I’m fine, just let me, let me get my bearings?”  They pause, hips still shifting pleasantly.  David finally opens his eyes, rubbing the tears from them.  “I’m fine.  Did you…?”

 

They look down to their pants.  “Yeah”.

 

“O-oh… good.  That’s… good”.

 

(F/n) snickers, trademark smirk back.  “How eloquent Davey”.

 

David pouts, crossing his arms.  “Don’t make fun of me!”

 

They raise their hands defensively.  “I’m not making fun of you!”  David huffs, turning away.  The biker noses his neck, hugging him around his middle.  “I’m not!  Davey, come on…!”

 

David gives a “Hmph!” and smiles despite himself.  

 

They look up from under their lashes, pouting.  “Pwease fowgive me Davey?”

 

David laughs, and kisses their forehead.  “Okay.  But now is pancake time!”

 

(F/n) groans.  “Change your pants first”.

 

David blushes, climbing off, and pulling the jacket from his shoulders, laying it on the couch.  “Do you want to borrow some briefs?” he asks, ears hot.  

 

They nod gratefully, face pink, having woken up enough to have a bit of shame at being so bold.  They yawned, and David smiled softly as they stretched their arms above their head, leaving a sliver of belly skin with small stretch marks visible.  David rifled through his drawers, and tossed a pair of briefs and a plain grey shirt to them from under his leg.  They snatch it out of the air, both of them making triumphant exclamations as they turn away from the other to dress.

 

David leads them to the hall, all the way pointing out landmarks that the biker has seen many times, and only barely listening, more concerned with his enthusiastic smile, and his skip than anything else.  Finally making it to the cafeteria, David starts the coffee maker, while (F/n) plugs their mp3 player into the overhead speakers, after fumbling to find the right cord.  

 

They swipe to the more folk style playlist they had for specifically when around David, and poured coffee as David sang along, stretching up to get the box mix from the top shelf.  (F/n) found their eyes trailing to his backside.   _Nice_ , they thought idly, stirring in a hot chocolate packet into their coffee.  David turned, looking up from reading the box finding his lover staring at him as he snapped his fingers to the beat, swaying.  He smiled sweetly and winked, turning back to the bowl of ingredients.

 

 _NICE!_  Their mind supplied, choking on a sip of coffee, face reddening.

 

David’s body swayed to the beat, singing soulfully along to the song.   _“I’m a man on fire,”_ he sings, winking at you as he whisks.  

 

“That’s debatable,” you reply as though it were a conversation, leaning with your back to the woodwork.

 

 _“Walking down your street, with one guitar, and two dancing feet”._ He spins with batter in his arms, slowly making his way to you.

 

“More accurate,” you concede, sipping, wondering if you’d get to the workshop in time.

 

 _“Only one desire, that’s left in me,”_ he sings, stalking closer.  You eye him from your perch at the kitchen wall.  He leans overdramatically onto you, crouching so his head is under your chin, causing you to move your coffee to arms length away (which is not ideal).   _“I want the whole dang world, to come and dance with me,”_ he finishes, kissing your chin as he dips away, humming as he pours the batter onto the hot pan.

 

“Just say ‘damn’, Davey.  No one’s here but me,” they reply, snickering at his antics.

 

“It’s the principal!” he exclaims, placing a small stack of pancakes and bacon on your plate, and gives the biker a kiss as you murmur your thanks.  Campers begin to file in, David filling the campers’ trays.  A few give the biker a side eye, but ultimately leave them be as they go to their respective tables.  Max eventually shambles in, demanding his usual black coffee.

 

(F/n) ruffles his hair as he goes, and he slaps your hands away, flattening it down again and flipping you the bird.  You sigh, pulling the music from the speakers, and roll your last syrupy pancake around your bacon, and toss your plate and plasticware in the garbage.  “I’ll see you later baby boy,” they murmur, kissing him goodbye.

 

“You aren’t going to stay?” he asks, eyes that puppy dog wide that the biker has trouble resisting.

 

They groan.  “No?  I have a job too?” they reply, almost wishing they could stay.  Their eyes drift to look at a kid pouring syrup into his helmet.   _Almost._

 

David pauses, finger to his lips.  “You know, I don’t think I ever asked: what do you do for a living?”

 

“Carpenter,” (F/n) replies.  “General handyman.  I can fix damn near anything electrical or motorized.  I’ve got a shop over in town”.

 

“Really?  Is that what that shop is on South Van Dyke?” he asks curiously, nose scrunching in thought.

 

They nod, moving away.  “I’ve got Mr. Jackson coming in to pick up a crib.  Mrs. J’s pregnant,” you reply.

 

“Aw!  That’s great!  Tell them from me congratulations, I’m so happy for them!  I should send some flowers!” he squeals, patting his cheeks in excitement.

 

“I will,” they confirm, walking out, giving Max the finger guns.  

 

Max turns to David as the counselor sighs, little hearts practically manifesting around his head.  Meeting Max’s gaze, the young boy narrows his eyes, raising the hand that wasn’t holding his mug to reveal another broken bottle shiv.  He sips his coffee.

 

David pales.   _This is probably fine_ , he assures himself.

 

 _Ping!_  His phone alerts him.

 

 **Darling:** _i left my undies and shirt there, feel free 2 wear them for luck <3 u _

 

David gulps, and places his red face in his hands.  There’s a long day ahead of him.  He decides laundry day will come early.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song Davey sings is Man On Fire by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. I like the idea that he listens to folk/country/soul/americana music. Heres a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08WeoqWilRQ
> 
> please enjoy and please leave a review or any questions you may have, or correct any of my mistakes i proofread poorly, and your comments brighten my day, but right now i am so tired its 1 in the morning im going to sleep goodnight folks


	3. Catching Things, And Eating Their Insides (I Miss You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are being kept, and arguments are had. Emo nostalgia music makes a few cameos, and talents are revealed.
> 
> Almost done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while longer than I hoped, and you might notice it's longer than the other two chapters. That's because there was a lot I wanted to fit into this without writing another chapter.
> 
> (Also, while I personally think Max's parents signed him up for Get-This-Kid-Out-Of-My-House Camp and David makes him try a different camp every summer, I also am really fond of Music Camp Max and Fashion Camp Max. So, there's a bit of a nod to that in there, and I'm glad so many people were into violin player Max and had the same idea I did, so... yeah. That's there.)

This was the first time David had had his date over while he was performing his camply duties.  The biker was currently leaned against a log around the bonfire, chatting amiably with Preston, Max interjecting every now and again just to make sure they knew how stupid and pointless their opinions were.

 

It was only when David brought out his guitar that he saw a shift in (F/n)’s expression.  The kids groaned in annoyance, Gwen putting her face in her hands.  Normally he’d let it pass and put his guitar away for another time, but he’d wanted to show his darling his talent.  A bit of a posturing never hurt, and he’d been wanting to show his skill for a while.  The moment they saw the guitar, however, their face went from the mild amusement of the sharp grin to frozen surprise.  “You play?” they asked slowly.

 

David grinned and strummed.  “Yup!  Want to help me sing some camp songs?” he asked, fingerpicking a quick tune as he leaned close, expression hopeful.

 

To his surprise, they leaned away, expression guarded in their sharp grin.  “No way.  You can embarrass yourself all you want, but you aren’t bringing me down with you”.

 

David smiled.  “Aw, come on!  It’ll be fun!” he encouraged.

 

Max snarled from being tucked into his older sibling’s side, “David, fuck off!  They don’t have to if they don’t want to!  At least they listened, most of us just tune you out”.

 

David frowned, pulling away.  It was rare for Max to intrude in (F/n)’s and his discussions.  “Language,” he reminded carefully, and chose to let the subject slide, and as he left, watched the tenseness drain from his lover’s body.

 

David proceeded to sing the usual camp songs, watching (F/n) from the periphery of his vision.  He tried multiple times to get the kids enthusiastic and sing along, only succeeding momentarily with Space Kid, when he sang a song about the stars and planets being friends.

 

“He’s kind of pathetic, isn’t he?” (F/n) murmured to their little brother.

 

“Oh yeah,” Max agreed.  “I’m feeling depressed just looking at him,” he said, watching as he failed to convince Gwen to sing, her only response being a rude gesture and a stiff glare.

 

"His voice is so pretty". they sighed, watching as Gwen pushed a burnt marshmallow into his cheek.  “...I love him so much".

 

“Lame”.

 

“...Yeah”.

 

David whined, pulling away, to try in vain to wipe the sticky treat off his face, only accomplishing to further smear it on his cheek.  “Jesus, it’s like watching a depressed onion cut itself,” he groaned in exasperation.

 

They stood up, brushing themselves off.  “Guess I’ll help him,” the biker muttered, walking off to assist their useless boyfriend.

 

(F/n) scraped carefully at David’s cheek with their library card.  “I just wanted them to have fun,” he whined pitifully.  

 

“That’s not fun for them Davey,” they point out.

 

David slumps sadly, as the kids, file away, corralled by Gwen.  “I know,” he mumbles.  “I just want them to have fun like I did when I was at camp when I was their age.

 

Gwen walked past, rubbing her temples.  The biker offers a pat on the shoulder, feeling a little sorry for the twenty-something that already had the life drained out of her.  Gwen sighs and mumbles a “Just until I get a better one.  Just until…” as she walks to her cabin.  

 

(F/n) walks David to his with an arm around his neck.  “David, what camp did you sign up for when you went to camp?”

 

David smiles wistfully.  “My parents signed me up.  I didn’t pick one, and back then it was just a regular summer camp.  I didn’t really like it at first, but I grew to like it after a while”.

 

They sigh.  “Well, you can’t expect them to not be disappointed, David”.

 

David pulls away, expression full of hurt.  “What do you mean?”

 

The biker frowns, pulling their arm back to their side.  “Well, they were promised something special that would cater to them and their interests, and instead they got a camp that’s basically a scam and does so many different things that they can’t focus the budget for anything good quality for the camper’s use.  It’s kinda shitty”.

 

David crosses his arms.  “It’s  _ not _ a scam!  It’s a perfectly fun camp, and I work hard at it!  I love this place!”

 

They quirk a brow, hands in their pockets.  “David, it’s fine as a summer camp.  I went to camp too, so trust me, I know.  It’s just that they were promised something other than what they got.  It’s the marketing pitch.  Do you actually think any of the kids are going to come back next year?  They’ll just tell their parents it was a scam, which it is, and go to an  _ actual _ space camp, or magic camp or whatever.  It’s got nothing to do with you”.

 

David flushes.  “Of course they’ll come back!  They’re having fun!  You don’t know what you’re talking about, you just aren’t seeing it,” he says, standing straight.

 

The biker grimaces.  “...Alright.  I’m… sorry I hurt your feelings, I’m just giving advice,” they offer, expression flat and blank.

 

David frowns.  “Thank you, but I didn’t ask for it,” he huffs.

 

“Why are being a dick all of a sudden?” they grumble.

 

David sputters.  “ _ Me?! _ ”

 

The biker scoffs.  “Yeah, you!  I was just trying to help”.

 

“I didn’t ask for it,” he shoots back.

 

(F/n) stares a moment, and David crumbles a bit under the intense look.  “Okay, I won’t give it anymore,” they say as they walk to the road.

 

“Where are you going?” he asks.

 

“Home,” came the simple reply.  “See you when you stop being an ass”.

 

David stands still, staring at the dark clearing as the light from the motorcycle fades.  The screaming of the cicadas offers him less comfort than usual, as his shoulders slump.  He walks to his cabin, the night feeling a little colder.

 

______________________________________________________________

 

David woke, feeling refreshed, and sent his good morning text to (F/n), only after sending it did he remember the argument from the night before.  His heart sank.  He should apologize.  He had been unfairly rude that night.  Somehow, though, he knew that a text wouldn’t cut it.  

 

Stepping out, he went to the mess hall, preparing the Saturday breakfast.  As soon as Max stepped through the door, David handed his black coffee to him.  “I need your help,” he asked without prompt.

 

Max grinned a familiar sharp grin.  One he knew all too well.  “Well, well, well!  What’d you fuck up so bad you come crawling to me for?” he sneers, sitting down as David follows like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs.

 

“I… I think I hurt (F/n)’s feelings last night, and I want to do something nice for them…” he says quietly, shifting uncomfortably.

 

Max frowns, then smirks.  “What’s in it for me?”

 

David almost whines.  “I don’t have anything to give you!  You already have my social security number!”  Max rubs his chin in a mockingly thoughtful look.  “Double dessert for today and tomorrow?”

 

Max snickers.  “Double dessert for the next week  _ and _ I don’t have to swim on Tuesday, and you have a deal,” he says, offering his hand.

 

David doesn’t really have a choice.  He shakes the hand.  “Done.  What should I do?”

 

“Well first, tell me what it was about,” he says sipping his coffee.

 

David frowns.  “Max, that’s private and none of your business!”

 

Max sneers.  “You’re the one that was a dick to my big sib!  You don’t want to overshoot this”.

 

David hesitates.  “It wasn’t anything terrible, but I still want to do something nice…”

 

“Oh, easy.  Make a mixtape”.

 

David’s brow furrows.  “Mixtape?  Like an eight track?”

 

“No, you moron, that site blows!  I mean a CD, something they can listen to driving or in the workshop.  Just make them something with music they like”.

 

David grins.  “Thanks, Max!” he cheers, before frowning.  “...What…  _ do  _ they like?”

 

Max groans.  “Do I have to hold your fucking hand, David?!  Jesus.  Haven’t you listened to their shit before?”

 

“We’ve only ever listened to a few songs, otherwise they let me turn on the radio,” he says, frowning.  Now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t even know if they  _ like _ country and folk like he does.  What if he was passively forcing them to listen to his music but they hated it?!  He can feel sweat pooling on the back of his neck.

 

“Jesus, they must still have their panties in a twist… They like punk stuff”.

 

David snaps from his haze.  “Punk?”

 

Max nods, refilling the coffee.  “Yeah, you know.  Like, punk rock?”

 

David cocks his head.  He knows about the punk movement from the 70s and 80s a bit, but that must be outdated knowledge by now.

 

“Skate punk?”

 

David frowns shaking his head.

 

“Horror punk?” he tries.  David shrugs.  “God, you really are useless.  Just go on Google and go from there.  I’m sick of your shit, David”.

 

“Thanks, Max!” he tried, standing up from his crouch.  

 

“Whatever,” he muttered into his mug.

 

_______________________________________________________________

 

(F/n) is in the shop, staring at the disassembled guitar on the desk.  They sighed, already missing David.  He’d sent his good morning text, but they hadn’t responded, feeling embarrassed.  They sighed, inhaling the smell of sawdust.  

 

They walked to a different table and started with the wood canoe commission.  As they were finishing, the light near the door flashed, indicating someone rang the bell.  They sigh, pulling your safety mask off, and began walking to the front of the shop.  “Welcome, what can I- oh.  Hi, David.  Did you need something?”  (F/n) tensed, feeling awkward as they pulled the gloves off their hands.

 

David shuffled, looking properly upset.  “I wanted to apologize,” he started.

 

(F/n) blinked.

 

“You were just trying to help.  I shouldn’t have been so mean to you.  It was downright cruel of me to talk to you like that!”  He hesitated.

 

They blinked again.  “Uh, that’s fine?  I’m already kind of over it.  But thanks for apologizing.  I’m sorry too, I could have put my words a bit better”.

 

David’s shoulders slumped.  “No, you’re right.  We don’t have enough money to cater to every kid, no matter how I try to manage the money.  It’s just not possible with so many different camps,” he says, leaning close on the counter.  

 

“Wait, you do the books?”

 

David nods sadly.  “Yes, and the planning, and ordering food, and fixing things when they break, and… well… most everything.  I live there year-round to take care of it.  Mr. Campbell pays me less than normal on account of letting me live there rent free…”

 

They nod.  “That’s… kinda cool,” they say.  “It really isn’t a big deal, about the fight though”.  A flash of green catches (F/n)’s eye.  “What ya got there Chief?” 

 

David smiled shyly.  “I… made you a mixtape,” he says, handing his lover the green casing.  Opening it, revealed a playlist, the title of which being  SORRY I WAS MEAN.   LOVE, CHIEF .  “I didn’t know what to make, so I had to ask around a bit… I hope it’s okay”.

 

“Thanks,” they said, smiling slightly.

 

“How come you never play the music you like when we’re together, Darling?” David inquires.

 

They hum.  “I like your music...” they reply, vaguely.

 

David’s brow furrows.  “You know what I mean”.

 

The carpenter sighs.  “My ex didn’t really like my music.  He’d make fun it, which I didn’t really mind, but he wouldn’t  _ stop _ until I turned it off.  It was… really annoying.  And kind of a dick move”.

 

David frowns.  “That wasn’t very nice!”

 

They shrug.  “It wasn’t so much that they didn’t like it, it was that they’d be a dick about it  _ to  _ me.  I remember once he told me he’d rather nail gun his ears than listen to another song by this one band I liked,” David winced.  “And he wouldn’t  _ stop _ .  Like, it’s fine if you want to change the song if you hate it, but don’t leave it on if you’re going to complain the whole time, you know?  It sucks.  No one’s having fun then,” they bitch, frowning.  

 

David grabs their hand smiling.  “Well, I promise to change the song if I don’t like it,” he says, before he remembers a thought.  “Do you actually like folk and country?”

 

They shift curiously.  “Yeah, I just said that.  Why?”

 

David bit his lip.  “You looked a little uncomfortable when I was playing guitar.  I was wondering if you liked it…”

 

They grinned but it seemed less sharp than usual.  “Aw, nervous and insecure?  Don’t worry chief, I loved your rendition of ‘Baby Shark’”.  They looked to the album.  “I didn’t think you liked this sort of stuff?” they ask.

 

“I’ve never listened to it, actually.  I don’t know if you’ll like any of it, really,” he says with a blush.

 

They look inside.  “Yeah, this is mostly nostalgia stuff from early 2000s and 90s.  Want to listen to it later?  Maybe at my place?”

 

David grins.  “Definitely”.

 

__________________________________________________________

 

Later ends up being several days.  David had tried to play a few more songs for his darling, but something always seemed to come up.  The small amount of time David had played, the other seemed to enjoy before being interrupted.

 

His darling had invited him to their house to tie one on the day he listened to the mix tape.  Unfortunately, Max had caught wind.  

 

“Get them drunk!” he’d said.

 

“What?!” David responded intelligently.

 

“Drunk (F/n) is one of my favorite things in the world, David.  You  _ have  _ to.  A few Halloweens ago, I got them to egg a streaker in Poplar Park and then they flirted with a guy dressed like Gandalf.  Another time they pantsed a guy taking pictures at the zoo,” he recounted fondly.

 

“They did  _ what _ ”.

 

Max sighed fondly.  “They still won’t let them back in”.

 

David shakes his head.  “I’m not going to get them drunk!  If they want to get drunk they can, Darling’s an adult, they can make that decision for themself”.  He curiously kept the thought in his head, regardless.

 

They answer the door in their pajamas, Spazz barking.  “Down boy!  Come on, let Davey in!”  They push the mutt back as he barks.  The most adorable muzzle sticks through from his darling's legs.

 

“BORK!  BORORORK!!!” the scruffy dog alerts.

 

“I know!  Hi, Davey, sorry about him.  Just let him sniff you, he doesn’t bite,” they say, turning away.  “Just leave your shoes in there, Spazz doesn’t chew them”.

 

David kicks off his shoes, and reaches down to pet the dog.  It sniffs his fingers, and licks them after a quick decision.  He rolls over to show his salt and pepper belly, dumb doggy grin in full effect.

 

“So you’ve never listened to punk?” they inquire, fiddling with the stereo.

 

David shrugged, kicking his shoes off and placing them near his lover’s and patting the dog's belly.  Its tongue lolls happily in response the sudden influx of pets.  “Not really.  I didn’t even listen to the one’s on there; I asked Gwen to tell me which ones were good”.

 

“So you never had an emo phase?”

 

“A what?”

 

“Nevermind.  Well, MCR’s a good start.  Black Parade is still fucking iconic as hell,” they reply pressing play.  “The whole album’s a rock opera”.

 

The album began with hard, angry music, and slowed down a bit near the end, (F/n) drinking as they sang along in what seemed to be a comically bad singing voice.

 

As the last song kicked up, David found himself listening to the music and realized he was enjoying himself.  “These aren’t what I’m used to, but I like them!  They make me want to cry!”

 

(F/n) downs another drink.  “Yeah, that’s because it’s super depressing.  A’lot of punk is more ‘fuck the system’ than the stuff you put on here.  Most of this is, like, emo nostalgia or something,” they slurred, making a bad attempt at dancing with David.

 

David chuckled as they cuddled into his neck.  “You’re warm,” they mumbled.

 

David swayed them and let them dance spastically around him, even letting them go to allow Spazz a turn, who reared a bit with (F/n) in an attempt to dance or play. 

 

At the bridge, of the last song, (F/n) had actually started to sing along.  “ _ Do or die, you’ll never make me! _ ” they sang, pulling close.  “ _ Because the world will never take my heart! _ ”  David followed close, grinning happily, and laughing as they yelled the lyrics drunkenly.

 

“You’ve heard this a lot.  I think I’m going to cut you off,” he said, putting the alcohol back in the cupboard they had taken it out of.  He listened to his darling screech the lyrics passionately, as waited for the song to finish.  As soon as it did, he stopped the track, turning off the stereo.  

 

“Daaaaaveeyyy whyyyyy,” they whined, clinging to his back.  “Don’t you like my music?”

 

David chuckled.  “Yes, but it’s almost one in the morning and I have work tomorrow, unlike you,” he replied.  “Now come on, let’s go to bed, okay?”

 

(F/n) purred as he put an arm around his darling’s waist.  They moved their hands to his ass and squeezed, forcing a yelp from the 24 year old and a blush to his cheeks.  “Ooooohh so forward!  I thought you’d never ask!” they teased as David pulled their hands up.  

 

“I didn’t mean it like that!” he cried, face hot.

 

“You’re butt is so cute,” they mumbled into his shoulder.  “I wanna touch it all the time.  It’s the perfect handful and super tight and I love it”.

 

David chuckled, hoping they wouldn’t remember this in the morning.  “Thank you dear, please drink this,” he says, pushing a water bottle from the fridge to them. 

 

“Okey,” they say, sucking the cold water down gratefully.  “Can youuuu carry me?”

 

David chuckles.  “Only because you’re drunk,” he sighs, picking them up koala style, their legs clutching his waist, and arms around his neck.  Crushing the disposable bottle in a hand they throw it behind him, where David hears Spazz snatch it from the floor and kick it around, chasing it.

 

“Can he have that?” he asks as he carries them up the stairs.

 

“My boyfriend’s so cute and nice all the time,” they mumble under their breath, ignoring the question completely.  “Whenever he gets mad it makes me want to cry ‘cause he’s so nice and doesn’t deserve to feel like that”.

 

David feels his heart sink.  “Well, I’m very sorry, sweetheart.  It’s not your fault”.  He pushes open a door, revealing a pretty tile bathroom.  He tries again with another door and finds it locked.  Trying the final door, he discovers what appears to be a master bedroom.  It's a bit messy, undergarments in a pile next to a hamper, and bed unmade with the sheet on the floor.  There are posters on the walls and little seascape paintings, with a TV across from the queen size bed, a stack of DVDs next to it on the dresser.

 

“I hope he’s not mad at me,” they mumble as David lays them on the bed.  They roll over, face into the pillow.

 

“Why would I be mad at you, Darling?” he asks, sitting on the bed.  

 

(F/n) appears almost half asleep as they reply.  “Mphff mffp fmmp”.

 

“What?” he asks, turning them on their side, as they pull an arm over their eyes.

 

“‘Cause I can do something he can, ‘nd I don’ wan’ him to think I’mmm better at it than him…” they slur.  “‘Cause I’m NOT!  He’ssss too cute doin’ it!  I’d never win!”  They hold his hand, playing with his long fingers.

 

David smiles encouragingly, despite his darling not being able to see his face, and gives their hand a squeeze.  “I wouldn’t be mad!  That just means we can do it together!” he replies.  “You can tell me!”

 

He gets no response.

 

“(F/n)?  Darling, are you still awake?” he asks.

 

“Mmmmmmmmm…” they respond.

 

David huffs in amusement.  It might be better to convince them when they’re awake in the morning.  He sighs, and tries to move to the couch in the living room for the night.  He hears his darling whine, and hold tighter on his hand.  David tries to slip his hand out of the grasp, but their grip was too tight, and each time he almost gets away, they grab again whining his name.

 

David sighs, and hesitates a moment, before crawling into bed with (F/n).  Turning the bedside lamp off, he tries to give a respectful amount of space before they cuddle into his side, curling into a tight ball with their head on his shoulder.  His heart flutters, moonlight crossing their face through the curtains.  Normally, he'd be the little spoon, but his lover looked so small at the moment.  Soft and sweet, and normally they were only one of those things.  He closes his eyes with a sigh, feeling pangs in his heart that he was inadvertantly hurting them so.

 

________________________________________________________________

 

(F/n) groans when they wake up, head aching.  

 

Snuffling, (F/n) wakes slowly, cracking their eyes to a strip of light in their eyes.  Grumbling, they sit up, slowly getting dressed.  Listening, they can hear clattering in the kitchen.  After cleaning up in the bathroom, they trot down, already feeling a little bit better.

 

David looks up from a pair of plates with scrambled eggs and bacon, and hands (F/n) a glass of orange juice.  “Good morning!  Did you sleep okay?”

 

“Yeah… did you?” they mumble, kissing him on the cheek.

 

David nods.  “You wouldn’t let me go, so I slept in your bed with you… I hope that’s okay?”

 

They nod, hugging him around their middle, setting the glass down behind him.  “Yeah, sorry.  I get kinda cuddly when I’ve had a few,” they apologize, remembering the many times they and Travis had shared a couch after bar hopping or an after-party.

 

David kisses their forehead.  “It’s fine, don’t worry!”

 

Walking to the table near the window, they bring their plates, and (F/n) drops a scoop of food into Spazz’s bowl.  The mongrel pats his paws impatiently on the floor until the biker moves away, before digging in with a coo from their owner.

 

Sitting down to eat with a mumbled thanks, (F/n) scarfs the food down, before David pops a question.  “So, do… you remember anything last night?”

 

They sigh, putting their fork down.  “Did I do something weird?”

 

David shifts.  “Well… you did grab my butt… but that’s not what I was going to ask about!”

 

“Yeah, that’s not unusual”.  At least they didn't burn anything this time.  That was a step up.

 

David chuckles.  “You did say that you wanted to touch it all the time, too”.

 

They nod, a slight blush coloring their cheeks.  “Yeah, that’s true, but also not weird of me to say”.

 

David shifts in his chair.  “You… said I might be mad at you?”

 

They frown.  “Why would you be mad at me?”

 

David throws his hands up in exasperation.  “That’s what  _ I  _ would like to know!” he says.  “You said you can do something I could, but didn’t want me to think you were better at it than me?”

 

At this, they frown, back straightening  “Sure don’t know what you’re talking about David,” they reply cooly.

 

David reaches to hold their hand, rubbing his thumb against it.  “Darling…” (F/n) winces.  “You can tell me.  I won’t be mad!  You don’t have to hide something you love to do from me just because you don’t want me to be insecure.  We’re a team now, so your strengths are mine”.  David smiles softly.  “Even if you are better than me at… whatever it is, it won’t change how I feel about you.  I’ll love you no matter what”.

 

They bite their lip, turning away to look out the window.  Rain is starting to sprinkle.  “Look, I… I’m a private person, Davey,” they begin, turning back to him.  “I like to do things because… well, I like to to do them for myself.  I don’t do them to get people’s attention, or to share them with other people, selfish as that might be, I just don’t like attention.  Hell, I live in the middle of nowhere just so people won’t bother me, and I won’t have to hear cars all damn day”.  They squeeze his hand.  “I guess I just wasn’t really ready to share that with you yet”.

 

David smiles.  “That’s okay!  If you don’t want to share it with me yet, that’s just fine!  I just don’t want you to feel like we can’t have shared talents because of some form of insecurity, wheather from you or me!”

 

(F/n) smiles.  “Thank you, but I guess I won’t get another chance to tell you.  I just… my last ex and I broke up because… we had a shared interest, but I guess he perceived that I was somehow better than him at it?  He was really competitive, and I’m… really  _ not _ .  I honestly don’t give a shit”.  They say, as they clean the plates from the table, placing them in the dishwasher.  “We used to play paintball with some other guys in a club about an hour away from town, and he’d always get so mad when I’d do better than him, despite trying to get into it because  _ he _ liked it.  The fact that I didn’t give a shit probably pissed him off even more, I think”.

 

David frowns following.  “Is this the same one that complained about your music?”

 

They shake their head, leading him upstairs to their room.  “Nah, that’s my high school boyfriend.  I’m talking about my last one, the one before we started dating…” the reply, turning away from their room to the locked room across.  Unlocking the door, they open it and flick on the light.

 

David gasped.  Inside, the walls were covered in dark posters proclaiming punk band, slasher movies, and paintings of horror film villains.  There was an easel, a few amps, and a few guitars on stands, with a few other instrument cases in the corner.  “Max got kinda forced into joining band by the old lady, so I told him I’d pick something up with him so we’d be miserable together,” the biker says, hand rubbing the back of their neck as David walks in.  “Max picked up the violin, and I tried saxophone.  After I figured it out for the most part, I moved onto bass, and then to guitar, and just kept picking them up.  I have a piano in the downstairs, but I don’t really play that one that much.  My friend Travis has a band, and sometimes I’ll play with him when they do a gig and need a keyboardist or their bass guy is sick, but I only do it because he lets me wear a mask”.

 

David turns, face split wide with a smile.  “That’s amazing!  I’ve only ever been able to play ukulele and guitar!  Will you teach me?” he ask, grabbing their hands in his.  “Oh!  We could play together!  Would you like that?”

 

They blush.  “I… yeah, okay.  What do you want to learn?”

 

David grins, and checks his options.  “I don’t know, something!  Will you let me watch you the next time the band plays out?”  They nod hesitantly, checking around the room.  David picks up an acoustic from a stand.  “Is this some kind of an acoustic bass?  The neck is really long...”

 

His darling nods, taking it from them.  “Yeah, It’s really jazzy sounding.  Kinda soul like, almost?”  They hesitate.  “Um, I was thinking… you know how a lot of the kids weren’t really into the camp songs?” they ask.  David nods a little sadly.  “Well, why not ask them what they like?  Play stuff they’re into?  Or even just regular songs… I mean, when I was at camp, I’d bring my CD player with me in my bag and listen to shit as I fell asleep”.

 

David rubs his chin.  “That… could actually work!  Will you come with me?  And play, maybe?”

 

They sigh.  “Alright”.  David squeals.  “But don’t get used to it.  I’m doing this because you’re my boyfriend and I love you”.

 

They press a kiss to David’s cheek.  He grins, and turns to catch (F/n)’s lips in his.  He smiles into the kiss.

 

______________________________________________________________

 

As it turned out, this didn’t fix everything.

 

Everyone was still pretty annoyed with David’s singing, and no one was really into it until (F/n) convinced David to cease trying to badly rap.  (F/n) thought that he performed "Shut Eye" rather well, and translated into a simple camp song very well.  He sang it a bit too cheerfully for their taste, though.  The biker had brought the acoustic bass David had latched onto at the first musical introduction and offered to back him up.  The kids didn’t really stop complaining until they simply started jamming.

 

As the campers left for bed, away from the bonfire, and Gwen retired to their cabin all that was left was David and (F/n).

 

“That went better than normal!  I think I’ll get them to sing with me yet!” David said with a grin, while the fire flickered, casting strange shapes of light onto his face.  He looked handsome like this, the biker thought.  The light made him look warm and comfortable.  Soft, and like he was where he was meant to be.  The coziness of the fire and the heat had made them lose their jacket to it’s place on the log behind them.

 

“Next time, just don’t rap.  Especially not hip hop.  That’s just not for you,” they replied, fingerpicking a quick tune.  “Switch?  I’m feeling like playing,” they said motioning to his guitar.

 

David grinned, and offered it while he put another log in the fire.  “Sure!  Will you sing?  Just one song?” he pleaded.

 

The biker shrugged.  “If you want me to.  I’m not really great, but it’s fun”.

 

David nodded, sitting down next to them.  “That’s what’s important,” he agreed.

 

(F/n) strummed the strings, checking them.  “It doesn’t exactly hurt to be good, though,” they muttered looking out over Lake Lilac.  They settled into a beat, and evened out the rhythm.  And began.

 

David smiled, as he tended the fire, making sparks fly into the air like tiny stars trying to get to the sky.  He liked how his lover’s shoulders relaxed, especially after seeming so upset and tense the past few days.  They hadn’t wanted David to feel insecure, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous.  He’d wanted to show off his guitar skills for them, but having a shared interest didn’t make as much of an impact as a different skill set did.  

 

David sighed.  Having his self-worth hinge on his perception of his preferred skill set was a silly thing, especially when he just liked to do the things he loved; and yet, he couldn’t shake the slight jealousy.  At least it wasn’t the bitter kind, that had come with Daniel when the kids all seemed to flock to the man in white rather than himself.  It was a simple kind that just inspired him to try harder, and in his opinion, the only good kind.

 

“ _ We can live like Jack and Sally if we want, _ ” (F/n) sang softly, eyes half lidded, eyes boring into David with a small smile on their face.  “ _ Where you can always find me; and we’ll have Halloween on Christmas _ ”.

 

David sat behind them with his knees on either side of their head, and they rubbed their cheek against the inside of his thigh as they plucked the strings.  “I’ve never heard this one before,” he mentioned passively, staring out at the lake with them as they sang.  He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.

 

“ _ And as I stared I counted the webs from all the spiders.  Catching things, and eating their insides, _ ” they sang, nipping playfully at his inner thigh.

 

David giggled, and his thigh jerked under the ticklish sensation.  “Gross!  What kind of song is this?” he laughed, as they leaned their head back onto his lower abdomen to grin cheekily up at him as they continued.

 

They lasted a while longer, staring at the stars and trading kisses.  And if David fell asleep with his bed warmed with his lover curled around him with an arm around his waist, he told no one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first string of lyrics are from "Welcome To The Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance (the iconic and classic emo kid song of the early 2000s).
> 
> The second string that the reader sings is from one of my favorite songs by Blink 182, "I Miss You", and is also the lyrics the chapter is named after.
> 
> The song mentioned called "Shut Eye" is by Stealing Sheep, and a really cool song. I think it could turn into a camp song fairly easy. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeUEUT2NtG0
> 
> I'm planning on wrapping this up in the next (and last) chapter, so prep yourself for the end. :) Thank you once again for reading, and I'd love to hear feedback and criticism.


	4. Until The Cat Comes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is basically an episode of The Days and Nights of Mrs. Pancakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around! It feels good to close this off, and I hope you're all satisfied with the ending. I think this may be a little shorter than the others, but I like it. I hope you all do too.

“Can you make a sweater?”

 

“Are you asking because you want a sweater?”

 

“No!  I was just curious!”

 

“No, I can’t.  I’m not as good as Max is”.

 

David shuffled and sat up, looking earnestly into (F/n)’s eyes.  “I’m sure that’s not true!  You’re very talented!”

 

His lover snorts, face an unreadable grin.  “I’m talented at the things I’m talented at.  I’m not talented at knitting”.

 

David sighed, and reached over to rub (F/n)’s hair, rolling his fingers through it, his eyes soft and full of warmth.  Every muscle in his lover’s body tightened like it usually did.  They did not press into the touch like it once had, but didn’t deny it either.  The counselor rubbed and gently scratched their scalp, feeling the strands run through his fingers.  They closed their eyes, trembling slightly.  “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing’s wrong, why?”  They asked opening an eye, a flash of dark color in the bright and saturated hues of the sunset.

 

David rolled on his side, gently turning them with his palm on the biker’s cheek.  “You’ve been acting really strange lately.  It’s worrying me”.  His brow is furrowed, eyes glinting like the green of the lake’s depths.  It’s hard to look too deeply into them, afraid they may drown.

 

“Sorry,” (F/n) replies.  They’re unsure how to answer, unsure of what to say but most of all: unsure about their futures.  “You’ve got more important things to worry about, I bet,” they murmur off-handedly.

 

David smiles reassuringly.  “I like worrying about you.  You’re important!”

 

“Not as important as you,” they insist.

 

“Yes, you are!  You’re very important!  You’re one of the most important things in my life!  That’s why I’m asking: what’s wrong?”

 

(F/n) sighed.  If there was one thing they’d learned it was that no one wanted to be around when shit got tough, or god forbid  _ you  _ were the one that needed reassurance.  Besides, “It’s dumb and stupid and saying it out loud and complaining about it isn’t going to make the situation any better.  Just forget it,” they grumbled.  “I don’t want to spend tonight worrying over dumb shit that might not even happen”.

 

“I’m here to talk to if you need me,” he insisted, thumb rubbing their cheek, smiling sweetly all the while.  “I love you very much.  You know that don’t you?” he asks quietly, as the sun finally set, obscuring his face in the night’s shadow, the mood laying streaks of silver thread in his hair.

 

They sighed, turning hesitantly to kiss the palm of David’s hand, holding it in their own to kiss his fingers.  David’s face flushes, and he’s suddenly glad they traded the sunset for the cold of the night air.  The wind blew and delivered a small chill to his arms.  “I know,” they said quietly.  “I love you too”.

 

David gives a worried smile.

  
  


___________________________________________________

  
  


David’s worry only increased.

 

Each time David moved in to kiss or hold (F/n) they simply accepted the comfort, but the odd glint to their eyes never changed.  Occasionally, they moved in, offering their own kindness to him.  A hug, a kiss between the brows, the gentle hold of their arms around his shoulders on their way to sleep; and yet, David could feel how their body twitched and moved like a muscle resisting in a massage.  Like every movement was strange and unused to the simple touches.

 

The truth was: David felt like he was walking blind in a strange cave that kept shifting around him every time he found a wall.  No matter what comfort he offered, his lover’s eyes didn’t turn to him the same way they used to.  There was a problem, and David could help fix it, if only they would let him in.

 

“David?” asked Nerris, tugging on his short’s hem, distracting him from his current subject.

 

David put on a smile and squatted down to her height.  “Yes, Nerris?  How can I help?”

 

Nerris pointed behind him.  “There’s a level 20 barbarian behind you.  I think he’s looking for a fight,” she says readily.  “Should I cast an invisibility charm to disguise you so you can slip by him?” she asks, grinning with a mouth full of rainbow rubber banded metal, her arms raising, a hand full of dice.

 

David startles, and looks behind him, to see a well-kept man in a white and green checked shirt tucked into jeans with brown suspenders.  He’s making his way to them, eyes boring into David as he sits up.  Light chestnut hair is neatly combed to the side in a way that might have made him seem rather handsome, if he didn’t look like he was coming to string David up like a trapped rabbit.  “No, Nerris, that’s fine.  Just let me handle him, alright?  Go back to more magic camp, okay?” he says getting up with a smile on his face.

 

He scampers up to the strange character with enthusiasm.  “Welcome to Camp Campbell, sir!  Can I help you with something?” he asks, a paragon of pleasantness.

 

The man stares him in the face, studying him carefully.  David feel sweat pool on his brow, his grin getting almost too wide.  “Are you David?”

 

David’s brows knit together in worry.  “Yes, I’m David.  Is everything alright?  Do we… know each other?”

 

The man runs a hand through perfectly combed hair, back stiff as a board.  “My name is Travis.  We need to talk”.

  
  


_________________________________________

  
  


“Alright there, Davey?  You look kinda off right now”.

 

David smiles.  “I’m fine.  Don’t worry about it.  It’s just… been a tiring day, you know?  I think it’s just hitting me a little harder than usual I suppose”.

 

(F/n) nods agreeably, humming in acknowledgement.  “I hear you.  I had to help Ms. Carrie get her new table in and assembled today.  Woman was breathing down my neck the whole damn time.  Glad she liked it, though”.

 

David smiled.  “I love you,” he says fondly, rubbing his legs together above his lover’s knees.  

 

They look at him from their seat, the light from the TV casting shadows on their face as Bob Ross speaks softly.  It had been David’s turn to pick the entertainment tonight.  “You’ve been saying that an awful lot lately,” they say, forehead creasing.

 

“It’s true!  I love you very much!” David insists, with a sweet smile, eyes worried and concerned.  It turned (F/n)’s gut in guilt.

 

“Yeah, but I don’t hear you say ‘lemon trees grow bigger lemons if you piss on them’ all the time,” they reply with a quiet, resigned tone.

 

“That’s gross,” replies David frowning.  “Besides; do you not like it when I tell you I love you, or something?”

 

They hurriedly shake their head.  “No, that’s not it!”

 

“Then why did you complain?  Am I making you uncomfortable?”

 

“No, I like it.  I’m sorry,” the biker offers, jaw clenched, muscles in their arms jumping like a live wire.  Their brow twitched, and their face shifted strangely in the low light, or perhaps it shifted another way.

 

“You’ve been acting so strange lately,” he presses, helplessly. 

 

(F/n) sighs.  “Let’s go to bed.  Tomorrow is another day”.

 

David creases his brow.   _ You can’t hide forever _ goes unsaid, but David thinks his silent agreement as they turn off the TV and climb into bed together is heard.

  
  


__________________________________________

  
  
  


David awoke in the middle of the night by movement at his side.  

 

He feels the weight shift, warmth leaving his back as his lover stirs and tucks the blanket back around his shoulders.  Their hand brushes his hair from his face gently, before he hears them walk carefully away from the bed, open the door, and walk out, leaving the room silent and colder than before.

 

David turned to the door, blinking sleep out of his eyes, suddenly very awake.  He yawns, smacking his lips as he pulls his thick blanket from the bed and slowly meanders his way to the door.  He steps outside and shivers in the night air, where his lover stands just outside the doorway with a cigarette hanging from their lips, smoke curling from their lips, indistinguishable from their breath. 

 

He’s never noticed before, but they look so small without their leather jacket.  Their hands are slightly lit by moon and cigarette, and he sees tiny scars on their hands he’s traced a thousand times, and one he’s never seen on their elbow.  It’s long, and curved.  David wonders if he’ll ever hear the story behind it.

 

David opens his arms while holding the blanket like bat wings, and wraps them both in the warm comfort, the bare skin of their chilled arms making his own tremble.  “Did I wake you?” they ask softly.  David crinkles his nose at the smoky smell.

 

“It’s okay, I’m a light sleeper,” he assures.  “I didn’t know you smoked”.

 

They sigh.  “I don’t,” they reply.  “I quit after Max was born.  The ‘rents didn’t care either way, but I didn’t want his lungs getting fucked up because I make shit choices,” they comment, staring at the half smoked cigarette.

 

“They’ll kill you, you know,” he hears himself say, turning so they’re side by side, his arm around them.  

 

“Yeah,” they reply quietly, as they let the cigarette fall from their fingers, to kick dirt over.  “I know”.

 

David leans down and picks the snubbed out butt of the filter and puts it in his pocket.  “You shouldn’t just drop them,” he chides.  “Rabbits will eat them and then starve because they get addicted too”.

 

“Sorry,” (F/n) says, and they mean it.

 

It’s quiet a moment. The trees rustle in the gentle breeze, and an owl hoots somewhere.  The stars turn, uncaring, in the sky like they have for millennia.  David feels small.

 

“I’m worried about you,” he says quietly.

 

“I don’t mean to make you worry,” they reply, just as softly.  “I never want to hurt you”.

 

“Your friend is worried too.  He came to visit me,” David prods.

 

That turns their head.  “Travis?” they ask, eyes shining in the moonlight with confusion.

 

“Yeah,” confirms David.  “He’s kind of a good guy, I think”.

 

_ “(F/n) is kind of delicate, though they pretend not to be,” Travis says, hands around the crappy cup of coffee David offered out of polite habit.  He takes a sip.  He scrunches his nose and adds more sugar. _

 

_ David frowns and leans closer.  “They’re so tough though!” _

 

_ Travis nods.  “They are, but they’re not.  (F/n) is someone who hasn’t always had people been there for them.  They’ve had people say they were and then just… weren’t when it came down to the tacks.  And then they came back, saying sorry, saying they would stick around next time, but then just leaving again when shit got tough.  And shit  _ always _ gets tough eventually,” he says, sipping again.  “Birds of a feather only flock together until the cat comes ‘round, and all that.  They aren’t strong because they learned with others, they’re strong because they feel they have to be”. _

 

_ “They’ve been so distant lately,” he says, clutching his own cup of tea, staring down into the mug like it might bear him answers.  David was afraid he might not like them even if he saw them.  “I’m worried.  I don’t want to lose them.  They’re so important to me.  I want them to feel…”  _

 

_ “Safe?” Travis prompted. _

 

_ “Yes!  Exactly,” he replied.  “And I want them to know they are, too.  They hide so much, and I know they care but the truth is… I don’t think I know much of  _ anything _ about them.  They stay and I know they love me, and they encourage me, and care, and they give so  _ much _ but… I feel helpless.  I want to give the same to them.  I don’t want them to feel like they have to do everything on their own.  We’re a team now, but… we don’t act like it”.  David looks up, and Travis’s face is melted for the first time.  David realizes how long he spoke.  “I’m sorry, you probably have better things to do than to listen to me,” he says with a flushed face. _

 

_ Travis smirks.  He thinks it was supposed to be a friendly smile with how his eyes look into David.  “I get it.  You feel like a failure when you can’t help them, don’t you?  When you can’t fix a problem.  It makes you feel useless, doesn’t it?”  David looks at them, startled.  “I’m a criminal psychologist.  Don’t worry about it,” he says not unkindly.  “You’re both very alike, you know.  You both desperately want to do something good, but don’t know how, do you?  You want to fix every problem, make homes and comfort where none exist but don’t know where to start, or what to do.  You seem more like a tryer though,” Travis ponders, smiling.  “(F/n)’s practically given up on trying to change anything.  They’re one of the few people I know that just feel like things are what they are, and nothing more”. _

 

_ David takes a long draught of the tea.  It leaves a film in his mouth like cheap tea does.  “I kind of get that, but also have no idea what you’re saying,” he says thickly. _

 

_ Travis stands, and smooths his shirt.  “I get that a lot.  Thank you for the coffee.  If you hurt (F/n), then I’ll scoop your eyes out with a melon baller and make you eat them.  Cheerio,” he says, and if it weren’t for the words that made David pale, the tone might have disguised them as a simple departure. _

 

“You aren’t alone, you know?” David insists.  “I won’t leave just because you think I might,” he says, and means the words with all his heart.

 

“You don’t know that.  You don’t know  _ me _ ,” they say, and they mean that too.

 

“But I  _ want  _ to know you,” he says, turning his head into their hair.  He feels them twitch.  “I love you so much.  You give so much to help me, but you never let me help you.  You never let me in so we can work  _ together _ .  I think we need that,” he says, voice urgent and pressing.

 

“I’ll never make you leave,” they mutter, their body shaking like every word rocks them like waves against a shoreline.  “But I can’t make you stay.  I can’t make  _ anyone stay,  _ David”.  

 

“I’m not going to  _ leave,  _ (F/n)!” he says in exasperation.  “You’re talking as if I’ve already  _ left _ ”.  He clutches (F/n) by their shoulders and turns them to them.  “Look at me!” he says, and the cowed, downcast eyes turn to look into his own.  The normally relaxed and careful eyes that looked at everything like a curiosity were quiet and empty.  “If I’m  _ here _ then there’s a reason, (F/n).  I love you.  Let me get to know you.  Let me be by your side.  We can be good together, even if you think you’re bad on your own.  I know I’m not ideal, and maybe not your first choice, but I love you, and I’m almost certain you love me”.  David shakes, and realizes his thumbs under his lover’s eyes are wet, and his cheeks feel the same.  “We could be good together.  I know it”.

 

“How can you be so sure?” he hears their voice crack.  The blanket falls at their feet, and the cold breeze offers no reprieve.  “How can you say that so certainly?”  Their hands move to cover his.

 

He grins through the tears.  “Because we already are.  Come inside.  I want to show you something”.  He leads them inside, and turns on a lamp.  The yellow orange glow lights the room.  “I was going to save this until later, but I… I thought this is the moment if there ever was one”.

 

He pulls a long box from his drawers, the kind only used for jewelry, and shuffles his feet.  “Oh god.  David what are you doing,” (F/n) asks breathless and faint.

 

David smiles honestly.  “I love you very much, (F/n),” he begins gently.  “You… you’re so important to me.  You’ve supported me with no complaint, and give and give and give.  I want to give back to you,” his shoulders shake, and his smile turns ashamed.  “I don’t have much, I can’t promise you that I’ll never be a struggle to be around, or that I’ll never be insecure, or that we’ll live like we’re in a fairytale but I can promise you’ll be safe with me.  I promise that I’ll stay and be here for you as long as you’ll have me.  If you’ll have me, I promise I’ll always be there for you”.  He opens the box revealing a silver rope chain necklace.

 

There’s a moment of silence that makes David sweat.  (F/n) hasn’t moved, with their hands over their mouth and eyes wide in surprise.  They move their hands down, curling their fingers.  “You know,” they say with a trembling smile.  “I’m not much of a jewelry person,”

 

David momentarily panics.  “I’m sorry, this was silly, I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like this, you don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to-”

 

They put their hands on his wrists.  “Put it on me right now”.

 

David’s mouth goes dry and he grins with relief.  “Okay.  If it’s what you want”.

 

They turn, and David slips the cold chain around their neck.  “We can alter it if you don’t like the length,” he probes.

 

“No.  I’m wearing it forever, and you can’t stop me,” they say, and David laughs, closing the clasp.  He rests his hands around their neck, gentle, simple touches that are soft and warm in the chilly room.  “It’s strange, you know,” their voice soft and quiet.  The owl hoots again outside.  “Even with your hands around my neck, I still feel so safe with you,” they say.

 

“You are,” David assures.  “I promise”.

 

“I know,” they reply, slowly turning.  David’s breath catches in a lump in his throat.  The silver is bright and gorgeous against his lover’s throat, a claim that they were with him.  A simple sign of love and cherishing that would last.  “I’m just scared.  I’ll take you out in the morning.  We can go anywhere.  I’ll tell you anything you want”.

 

David looks to the window.  “Actually, it already is the morning I think,” he comments.

 

His lover’s face breaks in a wide, free smile he’s never seen before and laughs loud, from deep in the lungs with heart he’s never heard until now.  He wants to find that laugh in early mornings every day from this morning on.  “Ain’t that just the way?”

 

David is hit with a sudden burst of energy.  “We should go running!  Or roller skating!  They have a rink about 2 hours out I bet-” he’s cut off by (F/n)’s sudden yawn, as they blink sleepily, exhaustion creeping into their posture.  “Or, you know what?  Why don’t we stay here today?  You can sleep, and after lunch we can go to town and get pancakes at the diner”.

 

They frown.  “But you just said you wanted to go skating!  If you want to, we should go!”

 

David smiles reassuringly.  “If you’re tired, I wouldn’t enjoy myself anyway.  There will be more times to go skating, but you need sleep.  We’ve been up since 3 in the morning!  And it’s, what,” he checks the clock.  “It’s 6!?”

 

“Damn,” they reply, already slouching onto a fold out chair.

 

“Oh, no you don’t!” he says, pulling them up into his arms.  They give a minor noise of protest but ultimately cuddle into his chest.  As soon as he sets them on his bed he notices something missing.  “I forgot the blanket outside!  Hold on, I’ll-” he looks down at them, but their eyes are already closed and breathing steadily, their mouth open slightly allowing small wisps of warm breath to escape.  The necklace glints at David from a sunbeam escaped from the curtains.  David sighs, and smiles.

 

David opens the door, gathers the blanket, and tucks his lover in.  He changes to his work attire, and combs his hair.

 

He takes one last look at his sleeping lover, and kisses them on their forehead.   _ ‘Birds of a feather’, huh? _

 

David feels ready to take on any cat that comes.


End file.
